


Hold Still

by elsewherewolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mild Angst, Shaving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 12:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1106930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsewherewolf/pseuds/elsewherewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a fluffy thing where Herc helps Raleigh to shave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold Still

**Author's Note:**

  * For [frikadeller](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frikadeller/gifts).



"Hi," Herc says, stopping in the doorway because he's still not exactly sure why he's here, or even if he _should_ be. But Mako had said that he ought to come, and Raleigh's still his responsibility, so he came. Brought the bag that Mako packed, too.

"Marshall, what are you...?"

"Just dropping some of your stuff off, thought I'd pop my head in and see how you're doing."

Raleigh struggles into sitting up properly, wincing all the while and Herc comes further into the room, puts the bag on the chair beside Raleigh's bed and helps him out, adjusting pillows behind his back.

"Thanks. I'm, I'm getting there, I guess. Nurses are great."

"Yeah, Mako said they were taking good care of you. You'll be back with us in no time, eh?"

"Give or take a few weeks," Raleigh says with a wry smile. "Survive the Kaiju invasion just to get hit by a bus; kind of fucked up isn't it?"

"You're still kicking, Raleigh. Anything you need while I'm here?"

Raleigh chews his lip, looking towards the window, then back at Herc. "I could use a shave. I can't-" He nods towards his arm, the thick cast it's encased in. "I'd ask one of the nurses, but they have enough to do already. Should be a kit in the bag, I asked Mako to put the stuff in. Would you mind?"

"Of course not." 

Herc can't help but notice the way Raleigh's eyes follow him as he gets a dish of water and gathers the things together from Raleigh's bag, figures he doesn't get too many visitors. Maybe it's just a novelty to have someone who isn't Mako fussing over him. 

"You have something against beards, Becket?" Herc asks, lathering the foam over Raleigh's jaw. 

Raleigh smiles, shaking his head. "Not on other people. _Some_ other people. On me, not so much."

"Bet some of those nurses would disagree." He adjusts the towel across Raleigh's chest and shoulders, and picks up the razor. "Hold still."

Christ, when was the last time he did this for anyone else? He's pretty sure he never even taught Chuck to shave, that the kid picked it up from someone else. Might even have been Scott, for all Herc knows. And that doesn't seem fair, that Herc never even got to do _that_ for his boy. 

"Are you alright, Marshall?"

"C'mon, kid, I think you can call me Herc now, can't you? I'm fine. Keep still."

Raleigh fixes his gaze straight ahead, making a soft sound of assent, and Herc sets the razor to his jaw and starts scraping off four days worth of stubble. He should've visited sooner, shouldn't he? He keeps his hand gentle on Raleigh's head, mindful of stitches, of bruises that still look angry as fuck, and he's glad that Mako had told him what to expect. 

"I reckon you'll be out of here sooner than you think, you know. You're tough, you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Raleigh's eyes flick up to look at him, then away again. "I still can't feel most of my left foot, you know."

"Some's better than none. Don't move." Herc turns Raleigh's head just a little, concentrating on the delicate skin below his jawline. He's _determined_ not to add any more nicks to Raleigh's extensive catalogue of injuries.

He washes the razor off, lifts it again and notices Raleigh side-eying him again. Just for a second, before he looks ahead, and Herc doesn't say anything. Keeps going, tilting Raleigh's head, as gentle as he can be. 

When he's done, he wets the edge of the towel to pat the remnants of the foam from Raleigh's jawline, upper lip and chin.

"There we go. Smooth as a baby's bum."

He hears Raleigh exhale, and turns away quickly, moving the razor and dish out of the way.

"Thanks, Herc."

"Not a problem. I should get going, but... I guess I can come back in a couple of days, keep the scruff down?"

"That'd be great."

+

On Herc's second visit, Raleigh keeps looking at him the whole time, and Herc almost wants to say he's too busy to come back again, but he can't bring himself to do it. He talks about the first time he shaved, how he'd used his dad's razor and it had stung like a bitch, and Scott had laughed at him for days afterwards.

It's the first time he's ever mentioned Scott's name out loud and in front of Raleigh, and he half expects the kid to ask him about it, but Raleigh doesn't say anything. Maybe it's just that he knows what it's like to lose a brother.

Some of the bruises are starting to fade to ugly yellows and greens, and Raleigh says he can wriggle all of his toes now, and he's starting to think maybe he'll get out and back home before long. He's not impressed with the wheelchair they've given him, but he can't manage crutches with his arm the way it is, but Herc tells him it won't be forever. Offers to take Raleigh for a wheel around the hospital, and Raleigh smiles, shakes his head no. "Maybe next time."

Herc swallows, wonders why two days is almost too long. 

+

Herc rinses the razor out, puts it to one side and wipes Raleigh's face clean. "You'll set those nurses' hearts fluttering," he says, thumbing a stripe of foam off with the towel. 

"Herc..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks again for doing this. I know you're busy, and you don't have to come here. I'm happy you do."

"Least I can do."

"Why?" Raleigh asks, genuinely curious. "You don't owe me anything, you know that right?"

"I know." Herc folds the towel carefully, the corners of his eyes prickling. "Feel like taking that ride now?"

"In that thing?"

"It's temporary. Come on, I promise we'll take the corners too fast."

Raleigh laughs, and nods. "Okay."

He's still bright with embarrassment by the time Herc finishes getting him comfortable in the chair. His hand's tight in Herc's shirt, and both of them pretend not to notice when he finally lets go.

"I feel like an old man in this thing."

"Gotta be honest, before the shave I'd have said you looked like one too."

Raleigh sticks his tongue out, and Herc gets in behind the chair. He doesn't go too fast, the last thing he needs to do is have an accident. He takes Raleigh down to the cafeteria, buys him a cup of 'real' coffee, then wheels him outside to drink it.

"Ugh, fresh air. I've missed this."

"Best kind of air there is. Okay, ten more minutes of breathing time, then I'd better take you back in."

"You're a terrible friend," Raleigh says, laughter in his eyes again. 

Herc nods, something inside him feeling like it just got punched, and leans back on the bench, silent.

+

"I was starting to think you weren't coming back," Raleigh says, putting the book he's reading to one side. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Shall we?" Herc immediately goes about getting the things together that he needs to give Raleigh his shave.

"You don't have to do this."

"I want to."

"Are you sure about that?" 

Herc looks up, and Raleigh's staring at him, chewing his lip and looking something close to heartbroken.

"I don't..." He takes a deep breath, his mouth closing into a thin, tight line. He doesn't know what to say, doesn't think he should say anything at all. Just clean Raleigh up and get out of here, which is all he should ever have done.

"It's okay, I can ask one of the nurses to do it-"

"No, I'll do it."

Herc takes it slow, short strokes of the razor to make sure he leaves Raleigh as smooth as possible. Moves his hand from one side to the other, holding Raleigh's jaw steady, puts his fingers into thick blond hair to tip Raleigh's head back just a little to get to his throat. He gets in close, intent on what he's doing, so damn careful because he does, he fucking _cares_ about this kid.

Raleigh licks his lower lip while Herc's dabbing him dry, and Herc's eyes track the movement before he even thinks about it.

"I don't want to be your friend, Raleigh."

"Then why the fuck are you-"

Herc doesn't give him the chance to finish. Kisses him, hand back in his hair and his heart thudding heavy, harder still when Raleigh pulls back sharply.

"Why'd you do that?"

"I'm sorry. I thought..."

"We're in a _hospital._ "

Herc blinks, looks around. "I know?"

"You don't say shit like that right before you kiss someone. FYI."

"Right. No, you're absolutely right." Herc moves his hand from Raleigh's hair, strokes gently over fading bruises to cup Raleigh's cheek. "I think... I've been stupid. How long have you waited for me?"

"Too long. This, this is better," Raleigh says, smiling. 

"So is it okay to kiss you now?"

"Woah, Prince Charming." Raleigh reaches out with his good hand, rubs his palm over Herc's rough beard. "You know these visits don't count as dates, right? I expect to be wooed."

"Oh, wooed is it? I'll woo your damn socks off, just wait."

Raleigh grins, tugging at the scruff on Herc's jaw. "Looking forward to it. But for now... how about another appetizer?"


End file.
